In the guild master's office of Quatro Cerberus, Goldmine listened quietly to Marco's account before sinking into deep contemplation.
"Joint S-Class Mage Examination..."
Goldmine's eyes gradually lit up.
"What do you think?"
Seeing Goldmine's expression, Marco already had a rough idea but still asked.
"I think it's excellent! We should have done this long ago!"
Goldmine clapped his hands in support, his excitement growing.
Such an event would undoubtedly be excellent training for the younger generation—far better than keeping them confined within their own guilds.
Moreover, he realized that if the youngsters performed well, it would also reflect brilliantly on him.
If the young members of his guild could outshine those from Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus to claim the championship, he couldn't even imagine how proud he would feel.
Goldmine thought of Bacchus, who was also preparing for the S-Class Mage examination.
This would be the perfect opportunity for him to make a grand appearance.
Bacchus was Goldmine's trump card, destined to be promoted to S-Class this time—a surefire way to boost Goldmine's reputation.
Had Marco and Laxus not already become S-Class Mages, Goldmine wouldn't have even considered sending anyone to humiliate himself.
His ace would stand no chance against those two brothers.
"So, will Quatro Cerberus participate?" Marco asked, seeking final confirmation from Goldmine.
"Of course. I'll bring our members." Goldmine declared firmly, unwilling to miss this opportunity.
"Good. Then I can report back with the success." Marco smiled.
Even before coming, he had been confident that Guild Master Goldmine would agree—after all, Quatro Cerberus, founded by Goldmine, was not the type of guild to shy away from challenges.
Moreover, such exchanges among the younger generation would foster growth and strengthen ties between the guilds.
"Are you heading to see Bob next? Aside from our two guilds, will you invite others to join?" Goldmine asked curiously, clearly considering the possibility of expanding the scope of the "examination."
"Yes, I'm going to see Master Bob. As for inviting other guilds, that's still under consideration. No decision has been made yet." Marco answered earnestly.
He was indeed still weighing whether to expand the event.
Since this was the first time, going too big too soon might not be feasible.
"You make a fair point. We can gather experience first and expand later once we've refined the process."
Goldmine nodded, his initial enthusiasm cooling as he regained his composure.
Rushing into this would be unwise.
"Then I'll take my leave now."
After exchanging a few more words with Goldmine, Marco bid his farewell.
"Just notify me once the date is set."
Goldmine didn't press Marco to stay, simply reaffirming that Quatro Cerberus would definitely participate and only needed to be informed of the details.
"No problem." Marco replied before departing.
"Stay and have a drink!"
Seeing Marco boarding the Corvus Aircraft to leave directly, Bacchus called out to him, accompanied by several companions—all old friends he had previously seen at the Nord Forest defense line.
"Next time. When you all get to Magnolia, my treat."
Marco waved with a smile, leaving those words behind before commanding the Corvus to take off, heading toward the direction of Blue Pegasus.
"To Magnolia?"
On the ground, at the entrance of the Quatro Cerberus guild, Bacchus scratched his head.
He took a swig of alcohol, unable to figure out why he would go to Magnolia or why Marco seemed so certain he would definitely go there.
Bacchus's confusion was soon answered when Goldmine called him inside and briefly explained the situation.
"We must secure first place! Are you confident?!"
Goldmine patted Bacchus's shoulder, staring at his ace.
He needed Bacchus to give him a confident answer.
"Of course! Marco is already an S-Class Mage! He wont take the exam. Against the others, I'm absolutely certain of victory!"
Bacchus grew excited, delivering his confident reply—though it made Goldmine sigh inwardly.
This kid truly admired Marco, already subconsciously placing him on a completely different level, to the point where he couldn't even muster the thought of competing against him.
Still, Goldmine could understand.
It wasn't just Bacchus—even he felt somewhat inadequate standing before Marco, especially after witnessing his strength firsthand.
"Gather the guild's strongest members. This time, Quatro Cerberus must outshine Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus! Those who perform well will earn the chance to be promoted to S-Class Mages!"
Goldmine pushed thoughts of Marco aside and gave Bacchus his instructions, tasking him with selecting the best of the younger generation to compete.
"Leave it to me, Master!"
Bacchus accepted the order and immediately rallied his comrades, determined to make a name for themselves in this S-Class promotion exam.
"..."
Watching Bacchus leave, Master Goldmine sighed.
Just thinking about Marco's existence was unbearable—it filled him with envy for that old geezer Makarov's luck.
Why did such a magical prodigy have to fall into his hands?
'If only Marco were my grandson.'
Goldmine thought to himself, his mindset now fixated on "wishing to have a grandson like Marco," consumed by sheer jealousy.
.....
Marco, unaware of Goldmine's inner turmoil, hurried straight to Blue Pegasus, arriving at their guild headquarters.
For the mages of Blue Pegasus, Marco was indeed a rare guest, given the considerable distance between their guilds.
"Marco-san?! What brings you here?!"
The moment Marco stepped into Blue Pegasus's guild hall, he drew the attention of many and quickly became the center of a crowd as a group of handsome men and beautiful women excitedly surrounded him.
"Marco-san! Could I get your autograph?!"
"I'm your fan!"
The mages of Blue Pegasus were far more polished than the rough-and-tumble members of Quatro Cerberus, effortlessly providing the kind of admiration and charm Marco appreciated.
"That guy."
A few mages didn't crowd around Marco, including Karen Lilica.
The Celestial Spirit Mage's expression toward Marco was incredibly complex, but it clearly didn't include admiration or fondness.
Instead, it was mostly resentment—the bitter frustration of knowing she likely couldn't get revenge on Marco.
No matter how confident or arrogant Karen was, she wasn't foolish enough to believe she could actually defeat Marco.